This invention relates in general to a coaxial cable connector assembly, and more particularly, to a removal tool for removing a coaxial cable connection from a telecommunications circuit cell panel from the front side of the circuit cell panel wherein the technician does not have to reach inside the coaxial cable cabinet to remove the telecommunications coaxial cable from the cable connector block located on the back plane of the circuit cell panel.
Small or mini-coaxial cables are used extensively in cellular telephone applications. Various manufacturers of cellular telephone equipment utilize radio frequency mini-coaxial cables with the coaxial cable connector blocks assembled in circuit packs in a cell site cabinet. A cellular telephone site will have one or more cell site cabinets.
The current procedure requires the removal of as many as five or six functioning circuit packs, to allow for the servicing technician to fit his arm and hand in an opening between the circuit packs to reach the coaxial cable tips exposed on the back plane of the cellular site panel and removal with various types of "make do" tools. Removal of a functioning circuit pack to service a faulty coaxial cable in another circuit pack results in multiple cellular telephone circuits being taken out of service to enable repairs to be accomplished. This results in lost revenue from each functioning circuit pack so removed as it takes approximately 1/10th of an hour or 6-7 minutes per circuit pack for removal and reinstallation of each circuit pack. Servicing a cellular cell panel cabinet in this manner requires the system be shutdown for approximately 50-60 minutes for the overall procedure. Peak daytime demands of a cellular telephone system result in such maintenance work being done during offpeak hours and at night in order to minimize revenue losses.
Attempts have been made to provide a coaxial cable removal tool that is inserted directly into the circuit pack connector block to remove the faulty minicoaxial cable. This type of apparatus is unsatisfactory as it requires the removal of as many as six functioning circuit packs with a shutdown time of 30-50 minutes to service a cell with a faulty cable. The technician is also subject to the possibility of physical injury because he has to reach his arm and hand into the working circuitry area to perform this service. Circuit packs and the associated support equipment have many sharp edges and protrusions which often results in scrapes and cuts to the technician's arm or hand while performing this service.
An object of this invention is to minimize the total shutdown time of the cell to less than 15 minutes to replace faulty coaxial cables by removal of only two circuit packs and to make the removal of such faulty coaxial cables simple and easy.
Another object of this invention is to reduce the possibility of physical injury to the service technician when servicing a cell panel. The Extended Coaxial Cable Ejection Device does not require the technician to reach between the cells to reach the cable connector block located on the back plane of the circuit cell panel.
A further object of this invention is to minimize the possibility of electrical shock to the technician or electrical shorts to the equipment. Most cellular telephone installations operate with a relatively low voltage electrical power source. However, the insulation feature of the present invention reduces the possibility of either shocks or electrical shorts.
Historically, various techniques and attempts have been made to remove electrical connector contacts or clips from connector blocks, cavities, and panels. One known technology is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,976,608 issued to Bustler for a Taper Pin Extracting Tool. This technology relates only to taper pin electrical connectors and extraction from electrical receptacles, and which such taper pin connectors are not used with coaxial cable connections in cellular telephone applications.
Another type of electrical connection and ejection tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,283 issued to Jansch which relates generally to tools and more particularly to a tool for ejecting snap-on type of an electrical contact pin from a multiple connector. This type of electrical connector is not used with coaxial cable connections in cellular telephone applications.
A variation in the above described tapered pin electrical connection is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,040 issued to Bauer and Galneder. Such tapered pin connectors are not used with coaxial cable connectors in the cellular telecommunication applications.
Other electrical contacts and tools for manipulating such contact elements are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,062 issued to Green et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,141 issued to Roofer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,983 issued to Hoy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,057 issued to Moulin and U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,838 issued to Dewey et al describe other types of electrical wire connector insertion and removal devices for connector blocks and connector types which are not used with coaxial cable connections in cellular telephone applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,024 issued to Barr describes a contact clip extraction tool used in connection with a contact clip that is releasably lockable in a bore within an electrical connector block. Practicing the method of this patent requires removal of the contact clip from the front plane of the connector block assembly by pulling on the device. This patent utilizes a rear insertable clip removal tool which removes the clip from the connector assembly from the rear thereof. The present invention removes the retaining ring or clip from the front thereof. The type of clip disclosed by Barr is not utilized in mini-coaxial cable or cellular telephone applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,049 issued to Hennessey discloses a tool for removing, from an electrical connector assembly, electrical contacts that are not attached to a wire or have their wire receiving well filled with solder. Such connectors are not used with coaxial cable connectors in cellular telephone applications.
The advantages of this invention and mode of operation will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.